Combination fire-escape and costumer.



P. E. DAUBENSPECK.

COMBINATION-FIRE ESCAPE AND COSTUMER. I APPLICATIUN FILED MAR. 26, 1915' 1,191,405. 1 Patented July 18, 1916.

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COMBINATION FIRE ESCAPE AND COSTUMER.

APPLIC-ATION FILED MAR-261 I9I5.

1 1 9 1,405. I Patented July 18, I916.

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INVENTOR PETER E. nAUBENsrEoK, 0E BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA.

COMBINATION EIRE-EscAPE .A'Nn COSTUMER.

Application filed March 26, 1915. Serial No. 17,184.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER E. DAUBEN- srEoK, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Butler, in the county of Butler and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination Fire-Escapes and Costumers, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a fire escape which is designed primarily for use in residences, only slight manipulation beingnecessary to place it in position for immediate use. Ordinarily the device is adapted to fold in such form as to provide a serviceable clothes tree or costumer of attractive appearance, the very nature of which is such as to cause it to be kept where it is conveniently accessible if anernergency arises requiring it to be used as a fire escape. The ladder-forming steps comprise convenient clothes hanging means when-the device is folded for costumer use, and the feet of the costumer are utilized as hangers for suspending the ladder upright, also for holding the upright spaced from the building wall sufficiently to afford free use of the ladder.

A further characteristic of the invention is the provision of a hook-like clamp for holding the upright parts in folded relation in the form of a costumer post, this clamp being secured to the part that is uppermost in the ladder formation and providing additional means for securing the ladder to'the window opening from which it is suspended.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are elevations of the improved appliance as assembled or folded to form a costumer, the views being taken at right angles to each other. Fig. 3 is a top plan, the feet being omitted. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 1s a side elevation of the appliance extended to form an escape ladder, and Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the same, in both views the appliance being shown suspended from a second story window.

Referring to the drawings, 2 and 3 designate straight upright sections which are preferably formed of steel angles-which are united at their upper ends by hinge 4: with the hinge arms 4/ secured in the channels and hence wholly concealed whenthelatter are folded to form a costumer post as in Figs. 1 and 2. Projecting from the sections at suitable intervals are the arms 5 which may be conveniently used for supporting Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 18, 1916.

garments when the devicei'sbeing utilized as a costumer, the arms providing convenient and efficient foot-holds when the sections are extended into ladder form as in Figs. 5 and 6. While arms 5 may be variously located,the arrangement is preferably such that when the device is folded an arm of each section is opposite an arm of the'other section, thereby avoiding too numerous projections in different horizontal planes. This provision also results in properly staggering the step-forming arms when the device is in ladder-forming adjustment. Conventional clothes hooks (imay also. be secured tothe section adjacent their upper ends, but as these hooks are disposedinwardly or toward the building when the device is being used asv a ladder they are not. in the way.

Secured to and projecting outwardly from the free extremity of upright 2 are the footforming arms 7 and from upright 3 are similar arms 8, and these .arms provide a suitable base for the costumer post. 'When the post is extended into ladder form spurs 9 projecting fromthe extremities of arms 7 are adapted to engage sill A of a window as in Figs. 5 and .6 and thus securely hold the ladder in suspended po-sitionf At the same time the foot-forming arms. 8 engage the walls B of the building nearthe ground and hold the lower portion of the'ladder spaced outwardly so that the ladder upright is held therefrom sufliciently far to prevent inconvenience in using the steps. The spread of arms 7, and the similar spread of arms 8, hold the ladder upright quite steady, and it is further steadied and its upper portion held spaced from the wall by the pair of diverging guide arms -10 secured to the uppermost ladder section 2.

The upright parts may be conveniently secured together for costumer use by the hook-shaped clamp or grip 11 which is adapted to clamp the parts together, as clearly shown in Fig. 4C, the hook being of angular form when the uprights are anguing'the ladder'in suspended position.

The improved appliance is designed primarily for use in second-story rooms of residences, the length ofthe ladder forma- 7 tion approximating thirteen feet which is quite sufiicient to reach the ground from a second-story window of the average house. As a window on the second floor is ordinarily arranged above a window on the first floor, the hooks 11 project into the lower window opening,'and the engagement of arms 10 and foot-forming arms 8 with the building wall Will ordinarily hold the hooks spaced outwardly a suflicient distance to prevent breaking the window. If there is no intervening first-floor window, the hooks simply provide additional elements for holding the ladder spaced from the Wall. A removable cap 13 may be provided for inclosing the projecting portion of the hinge and giving the upper extremity of the costumer post a finished and ornate appearance. g

The device is comparatively light in weight, is readily portable, and comprises a useful article of furniture, the very nature of which is such as to cause it to be readily at hand for use as a fire escape.

I claim:

1. In a combined fire escape and costumer, the combination of two upright sections hinged together at their adjacent ends and adapted to fold one on the other to form a costumer post and when extended adapted to form a ladder upright, post supporting legs for the free ends of the sections with the legs of the section that is uppermost when the parts are extended adapted to form hangers for the ladder upright, and stepforming devices carried by the'sections.

2. In a combined fire escape and costumer, the combination of two upright sections hinged together and adapted to fold one on the other to form a costumer post, foot mem- LiiAOli bers for the free extremities of the sections, a clip adapted to removably embrace the sections and hold them in folded relation, a chain securing the clip to one of the sections with the clip comprising a suspending means for the parts when extended to form a ladder, and step-forming projections on the sections. t

3. A costumer comprising a post longitudinally divided and the sections pivoted together at the top of said post, supporting feet on each member, those on one-member being so formed that they serve as hooks to suspend the post in inverted position and each member having a series of arms regularly spaced and projecting from the opposite sides of the post and so formed that they may serve as foot supports when the members of the post are swung apartand into line so that in this arrangement the degice may serve as a single-stile scaling lad- 4C. Acostumer comprising an upright post provided with supporting base and clothes arms, said post composed of longitudinal sections arranged side by side to form the costumer post and adapted to be extended into longitudinal alinement to form the stile of a single stile scaling ladder, said base constructed and arranged to provide means for suspending said stile from a window sill and said arms to provide said stile with foot supports or steps.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PETER E. DAUBENSPECK. Witnesses:

JAMES E. MARSHALL, L. G. DAUBENSPEOK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, I). C. 

